Driving- mechanism for drying and aerating machines



J; A. SPARKS AND- C. E. AND W. M. CLARK. DRIVING MECHANISM 50R DRYINGAND AERATING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JMLl5,I91H.

Patented May 20 UNITED STATES orniicn.

JoNAs A. SPARKS, CHARLES E. CLARK, ANn WILLIAM m. CnAnx, or nLEEirY,KANSAS.

DRIVING MECHANISM non DRYING AND AERATING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters 'Patent.

Patented May 20, 1919.

Original application filed June 22, 1917, Serial No. 176,449. Dividedand this application filed January 16, 1918. Serial No. 212,121.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JONAS SPARKS, CHARLES E.CLARK, and WILLIAM M. CLARK, citizens of the United States, residing atElk City, in the county of Montgomery and State of Kansas, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Drying andAerating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drying and aerating machines and moreparticularly to an improved ratchet mechanism for rotating the basket ofthe machine, being a division of our pending application for drying andaerating machines, filed June 22, 1917,

Serial No. 17 6,449.

The invention has as its primary object to provide a ratchet mechanismof the abovedescribed character which will be gravity controlled.

The invention has as a further object to provide an arrangement whereinthe ratchet mechanism will be so constructed that the said mechanismwill always readily respond to the action of the crank employed formanually propelling the basket while, at the same time, the saidmechanism will eflectually operate for allowing the basket to run free.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a ratchetmechanism employing a gravity actuated pawl and wherein the said pawlwill be so mounted that rotation of the gear carrying the said pawl willalso tend to project the pawl to active position by centrifugal action.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds,and in the drawings wherein we have illustrated the preferred,embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views: f

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of our improved drying andaerating machine,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail section, particularly showing themounting of the pawl of the mechanism, and

F ig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the cam ring of themechanism detached.

The drying and aerating machine of the present invention is, as shown inFig. 1 of the drawings, formed with a base including a plurality ofsills 10 upon which is mounted a floor 11 having a portion thereofolfset as shown at 12. Upstanding from the floor is a gear housing. Thisgear housing includes a bottom board 13, at one extremity of which isarranged an end board 14. Supported at one extremity by this end boardis a top board 15, the opposite extremity of which is supported by apost 16 upstanding from the floor. Extending between the top and bottomboards is an upright 17 and closing the sides of the housing aresuitzontally within the gear housing, is a countershaft 21 and fixedupon the outer end of this shaft to cooperate with the gear wheel 22 .isa pinion 25. Keyed or otherwise secured to the inner end of said shaftis a beveled pinion 26, As will be clear, turning of the crank 21 willrotate this beveled pinion.

Mounted upon the top of the gear housing and secured thereto in anyapproved manner is a cylindrical casing 27, the bottom wall of which isformed with a suitable axial opening surrounded by an upstanding flange28. Normally closing the casing is a frusto-conical lid 29 through theapex of which opens an air intake pipe 30 extending axially within thecasing. Leading from the bottom of the casing at one side thereof is adischarge spout 31 and removably fitted upon the offset portion 12 ofthe base beneath the spout is a condenser '32 held in position by a sideboard 33 secured to the base of the device. Rising from the said base atone end of the condenser is a post 3 1. Formed on the top wall of thecondenser to register with the discharge spout 31 of the casing is anupstanding intake 35 and slidable upon the said spout to fit within theintake is a sleeve 36 forming a joint therebetween. The top wall of thecondenser is further formed with a discharge pipe 37 from which leads anupstanding vent flue 38 detachably connected with the said pipeby asleeve similar to the sleeve 36. The flue 38 is arranged immediately infront of the post 34 and at its upper extremity is directed through thesaid post to be supported thereby. This fine preferably leads to a pointexteriorly of the room or building in which the device is beingoperated.

Rotatably mounted within the casing 27 is a cylindrical basket 39 whichis of a diameter less than that of the casing. This basket is open atits upper end to receive the intake pipe 30 and the cylindrical wallthereof is perforated. Mounted upon the outer side of the said' wall area plurality of spaced upwardly inclined fan blades 40 which extendcircumferentially of the bas ket. Connected to the bottom wall of thebasket is a spider 41 and extendingfrom this spider axially of thebasket is a supporting shaft 42 which is journaled adjacent its upperextremity through a bearing 43 in the top board 15 of the gear housing,while the lower extren'iity of the shaft is journaled through a similarbearing 44 in the bottom board of the gear housing. As will be observed,said shaft extends through the flange 28 of the casing 27 and seatedwithin the top board of the housing to be surrounded by the said flangeis a suitable antifriction bearing 45 with which cooperates a collar 46upon the shaft to rotatably support the basket from the said bearing. Atits lower extremity the shaft 42 extends through the floor 11 of thebase of the device as well as through a cross piece 47 secured beneaththe said floor and fixed upon the lower end of the said shaft is a disk48. Spanning the strip 47 is a hanger bracket 49 and pivotally mountedbetween this bracket and the said strip is a rock lever 50 terminatingadjacent the disk 48. Suitably secured at its inner end with the floor11 of the base upon one side of this disk is a brake band 51 whichextends loosely around the said disk and is thence extended along thefront edge of the lever 50 to provide a wear strip therefor. Pivotedupon the floor 11 above the free extrenr ity of the said lever, is afoot lever 51. The lever 51' is of hell crank formation and the free endthereof projects loosely through the floor in front of the freeextremity of the lever 50. Engaged at one end with this latter lever isa spring 52 the opposite end of which is suitably secured to the base ofthe device. This spring will, therefore, tend to retract the freeextremity of the lever 50 and hold the brake band 51 away from the disk48. However, by depressing the upper extremity of the lever 51 the lever50 will be rocked to tightly vclamp-the brake band about the said diskfor braking the basket 39 in its rotary motion.

The improved ratchet mechanism is arranged within the gear housing ofthe base and is mounted upon the supporting shaft 42 for the basket.This mechanism includes a beveled gear 53 loosely mounted upon the shaft42 to cooperate with the beveled gear 26 of the countcrshaft 24. Openingthrough the bottom edge of the said beveled gear is a verticallydisposed socket 54 which is in-' clined downwardly and radially withrespect to the aXis of rotation of the said gear. Slidably fitted inthis socket is a pin or pawl 55. Mounted upon the shaft 42 to cooperatewith the said pin is a cam 56 adjustably fixedto the shaft by a screw orother suitable fastening device 57 and provided at the summit of itsinclined face with a vertical shoulder 58. It will now be seen that whenthe crank 21 is properly operated, the beveled gear 53 will be rotatedupon the shaft 42 when the pawl 55 will ride over the cam face of thecam 56 and, as shown in Fig. 2, gravitate to a positionin front of theshoulder 5.8 of. the said cam to engage therewith for rotating theshaft42 and consequently rotating the basket within the casing 27. Then,when the crank is released the cam 56 will shift the pawl into thesocket 54 of the beveled gear 53 as the said cam rotates with respect tothe said beveled gear so that the basket 39 may thus continue to rotateindependently of the crank. This provides a very simple and effectiveratchet mechanism for rotating the basket and, in this connection,attention is directed to the fact that the operation of the saidmechanism will be practically silent. Furthermore, attention is alsoparticularly directed to the fact that since the pawl 55 is inclinedradially with respect to the axis of rotation of the beveled gear 53,rotary movement of the said beveled gear will, by centrifugal action,tend to project the pawl out of the socket 54 to engage the shoulder ofthe cam 56. Any possibility of sticking of the pawl will thus beovercome. Should the pawl or pin 55 be accidentally broken off, the saidpawl may be easily renewed by lowering the cam 56 and inserting a newpawl or pin within the said socket when the cam may then be readjustedupon the shaft 42 to properly support the beveled gear 53 with respectto the beveled gear 26.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a construction wherein thebasket may be manually rotated with facility. The clothes to be cleanedare placed Within the basket 39 when the said basket is revolved. Rotarymovement of the basket will set up currents of fresh air flowing in atthe pipe 30 to be discharged against the clothes within the basket andthence passing out through the thereby,

spout 3l.into the condenser 32 to be finally discharged through the flue38. '7 Thus, the

moisture will be expelled from the'clothes. while at the same time theclothes Will be thoroughly aerated to remove the odorsol' any cleaningfluids therefrom by the inrushing currentsof fresh air through the pipe30. As is well known, such cleanlng fiulds are usually of a volatilenature an'd by em ployingthe condenser 32 the vapors of such cleaningfluids will be held within. the said condenser to be condensed andcollected Having thus describedthe invention what is claimed as new is:

l.' A ratchet mechanism of the character described including a shaft, a]gear element mounted upon the shaft and free with respe'ct thereto, acam fixed to the shaft and rovided with a shoulder and'a aawl normally'gravitating upon the-said elementto engage with said shoulder forcoupling the gear element with the shaft,

2. A ratchet mechanism of the character described including a shaft, agear element mounted on the shaft and free with respect thereto, a camfixed upon the shaft and'provided with a shoulder, and a paWLcarr'iedgear element with the said shaft.

3. A ratchet .mechanismof the character descrlbed including a shaft, agear element mount-edon the shaft-and free with respect thereto, a camfixed to the shaft and sus taining the saidgear element thereon, the

said cam beingprovided with a; shoulder,

and a. pawl slidably mounted upon the gear element and normallygravitatingthereonto ride over the face of said cam for engagement' withthe said shoulder.

4. In mechanism ofthe character described, a driven shaft, a cam fixedthereon andprovided with a shoulder, a gear element sustained upon theshaft by the said cam v and free with respect to the shaft, and meansgravitating upon the said element to cooperate with the cam'forengagement withaid shoulder. v i

5. A ratchet mechanism of the character described including a shaft, adrive gear formed with a'downwardlyopening socket inclined radially withrespect to the axis of said shaft, and means for coupling said gear withthe shaft and including a pawl 'slidable in said socket whereby the pawlwill be .centrifugally urged to gravitate downw ardly to' actlveposition when the gear is rotated. r,

6. A ratchet mechanism including a shaft, a drive gear, and means forcoupling the drive gear with the shaft and including a pawl incliningdownwardly and radially with respect to the axis of the shaft wherebythe pawl will be centrifugall y urged; to

gravitate dow'nwar dlyto active position when rotated around the shaft.

In testimony whereof we affix our s1gna tures.

JONAS A. sranxs [L.S.] CHARLES E. CLARK." a 3. WILLIAM M. cLaRK. a 5;

